Destiny Realized
by EllyRuse
Summary: Starting from Chpt 418 of the manga, Naruto has to confront Pein before Konoha is destroyed. Relationships are put to to the test as Naruto realizes what he must do to save Konoha. NaruSaku. Rated T for fighting scenes & brief language.
1. Chapter 1

I admit, I do not normally write fan fiction, so this is a huge stretch for me and I honestly don't think I'm going to continue with it after I finish this story. (For some reason fan fiction embarrasses me…) Still, I felt compelled when I saw this:

innera./art/narusaku-dont-leave-M-E-74976103

Innera commented that there was no story behind it, but of course there is! I saw it and immediately knew what it was!

Please note that I am new to fan fiction, and that while I do write often, I normally stick to my own characters of a completely different genre, hoard the stories, and hope nobody has to read them. As such, expect some out-of-characterness for Kishimoto's characters. I'll do the best I can, however.

This is a NaruSaku story. However, I will not be forcing the relationship down your throat... it'll be more of a Disney-esque type of love.

_This story takes place sometime after Chapter 418 of Kishimoto's manga, after Pein's arrival to Konoha. Naruto is still studying to be a sage, Sasuke still has to deal with the Raikage's wrath, and Akatsuki's goal is almost realized… sans the majority of their members. 0o (Akatsuki at the moment is just Tobi, Pein(s), Konan and Zetsu. The team formerly called Team Hebi seems to be doing their own thing at the moment. I am assuming they were private contractors to capture Killerbee, and contrary to Chapter 419, Killerbee is caught.)_

+Chapter 1+

His eyes were closed tightly, his mind blank behind his eyelids. His entire being was focused upon his surroundings. He could hear the trickle of the waterfall gushing oil behind him and he could feel its soft vibrations through the ground. Throughout his meditations he had come to the realization that the Earth was one solid living thing, its very existence stemming from the synchronization of all its elements.

A noise, soft at first, broke through his barriers. The noise pulsated louder and louder, till Naruto could feel its presence. It had to be Fukasaku.

Naruto carefully let the sage chakra leave him.

"Naruto? How are you doing?"

The question caught Naruto by surprise.  
"Never better! I mean, I've mastered sage chakra, right, and it's only a matter of time before I—" he stopped speaking when he saw the look on Fukasaku's face.

"What? What happened?" Naruto asked hurriedly, a shock of sweat prickling at his scalp.

"I don't want you to jump to any conclusions, Naruto, so hear me out before you say… or more importantly, before you _do_ anything."

Naruto hated this. Why didn't he just spit it out? His eyes squinted into that fox like look of confusion. "If this has something to do with the bathrooms again, I apologize. Really, you should use better symbols for which ones are for female frogs and which ones are for male frogs, because honestly, I can't tell."

Fukasaku didn't smirk as Naruto had expected.

"This is a more serious matter, and I expect you to act appropriately. I wouldn't expect anything less from a Hokage."

There was a silence in which thoughts were bursting through Naruto's head, begging for release.

"We fear that Konoha may be under attack. We sent a toad out to check upon them, but to no avail. As isolated as we are, we've been getting rumors of a much more serious nature."

Naruto's heart nearly stopped. His body went cold, the fierce bite of cold that comes right before a sudden drench of sweat.

"I… I have to go back to them! I can't let this happen, I need to be with my village when I'm needed!" Naruto got up hastily and ran towards where he kept his pack.

"Naruto!" A voice loud roared through the air, one that definitely couldn't have come from Fukasaku. Naruto stopped mid-stride.

"Before you do anything that you regret, you must realize why Konoha is being attacked. Are you so dense as to not realize what is happening? The Akatsuki are attacking, and if our rumors are as true as they claim to be, they are after you." Gamakichi approached Naruto with his ungainly gait.

"Gamakichi's right, Naruto. If your presence is made known, they will capture you. There is no question."

Naruto was affronted. "I don't have time for this. You said that I'd be able to handle Pein if I mastered Sage chakra, and I have! I've mastered it! You're not my teacher anymore if I've learned all I can from you, and I will not obey you when you tell me to stand down while my own home is being attacked."

Naruto turned to leave.

"You'll face the same fate as Little Jiraiya. You overestimate yourself, and you will end up dead. Your death will be a horrible omen to Konoha, as your capture and subsequent death means that a fully controlled Kyuubi may be sent to prey upon the ones you so love under the orders of Akatsuki, for all we know. Would you like to risk all for your sense of righteousness and honor?"

"Fukasaku, you know me better than that. You should know that I will not let Akatsuki have me, regardless of any situation. I will find a way, and if there isn't one, then I'll make one. I've never given up, and I'm not planning on starting. That is my ninja way."

Fukasaku was taken aback. For some reason, the phrase was so familiar, a familiarity that stung his insides, like lemon on a cut.

It reminded him of Jiraiya in his final moments. Fukasaku couldn't say anything. He looked toward Gamakichi.

Gamakichi nodded in agreement. "Naruto. If you're going to have any chance at this, let us help. It's the very least we can do."

Naruto was zipping up his jacket. He stopped to look at Gamakichi and Fukasaku.

"No. I can't pull you into this," he said as he fixed his collar.

"You already have." The voice was loud and it boomed from behind the large toad statues. The statues shook slightly.

"Ga..Gamabunta?!"

"Not only was I your teacher's summons, but I was also your father's. You are at least equal to them in merit, if you have not yet surpassed them. I expect nothing less than the best coming from a ninja of impeccable honor and tutelage from some of history's great masters." Gamabunta nodded towards Fukasaku who gave him his all knowing smirk.

"Father?"

"Naruto. Your father was the fourth hokage, and it was no coincidence that you were the child selected to host the kyuubi. He couldn't have entrusted it to a better individual."

Naruto's mind was abuzz. "I don't have time for this. I… have to go."

He threw on his pack and turned to look at the toads behind him. "Are you coming?"


	2. Chapter 2

The story starts to pick up here. I originally posted both Chapters 1 and 2 together on my DeviantArt account, so those readers probably felt more incentive to continue the story.

But thank you for delving into Chapter 2, and I hope my writing satisfies all your Naruto cravings. )

+Chapter 2+

Naruto had forgotten what it felt like to ride on Gamabunta's back. It was thrilling, yet terrifying at the same time. Every bounce felt like enough to throw him off, and Naruto knew that Gamabunta probably did this for show.

Konoha wasn't far off on Gamabunta's back. What would have been a long walk was accomplished in just minutes and Naruto's whole being pulsated with excitement. While he hated to admit it, he was also fearful. No, he certainly didn't fear that he would fail—he would never let himself do that—but rather, he feared the death of his friends who would be foolishly fighting an enemy that wasn't even there.

Yet, he wasn't any better off. He hadn't unraveled the puzzle either.

His mind drifted out of his thoughts as he saw the fires in the distance, their plumes of smoke groping towards the sky.

He readied himself for the worst. Gamabunta didn't even need to jump over the walls; they were so crumbled onto the ground as to be unrecognizable.

Naruto's rage peaked upon seeing the destruction inflicted upon his friends, upon this village that had become his family.

He could feel the Kyuubi chakra raging through him. He could feel it trying to slip out of his pores and slowly slip out of his control. He couldn't let that happen. If he was going to fight, he was going to do the fighting, not the Kyuubi. He would not stand down and let some power that was not his control him. Rather, he would control _it. _

His eyes watered from the constant rushing of wind and debris that flooded his eyes and caused them to leak over. He could feel the water trickling down his cheek, leaving streaks down his already soot covered face.

Gamabunta stopped as soon as he entered the wall. Nobody bothered to look up and greet them. They were either hiding or were too wounded to care.

Where could Naruto go? The first place he could think of was the hokage's office. There should be someone there who was keeping watch on things if Tsunade wasn't.

Naruto gulped. Tsunade-baachan. The old lady he'd love to torment with insults.

"Naruto." Gamabunta's voice was relatively quiet. Its shock quality was greatly diminished in comparison to the dismal landscape.

"The ground is wet."

Naruto looked down cautiously. Was there supposed to be some significance in this? Gamabunta flicked one of his large fingers in the water, and watched the sprinkles cascade upon the ruins.

"This is no ordinary water, Naruto. We are standing in somebody's chakra."

The water was everywhere, almost as if there was a huge downpour that coated the city and yet somehow or other hadn't subdued the fires. Something wasn't right.

The rain started to pour suddenly once again. The rain pounded hard and each drop was so fine that it was almost like needles were slicing through his clothes and to his skin. Gamabunta noticed this too.

Naruto could sense it now. He could feel somebody's presence approaching him, and the eerie prickling sensation crawled up his back.

Gamabunta was staring off into another direction, his eyes slightly waxed over.

"Naruto. I see not much has changed."

Naruto turned towards the voice and was startled to see a mask of bright orange, its swirls radiating towards its center. He wasn't close enough before to notice the eye hidden behind the mask. This time, he could see it clearly. It was a sharingan. Could it be the same person?

"Who…who are you?!" Naruto struggled with his words.

This cloaked figure seemed slightly affronted. "What? You mean you honestly don't remember me, after the riveting performance I put on for you and your leaf friends?"

The tone of voice with that unique pinch of irony and sarcasm brought back a flood of memories. "Yes… I remember… you're that weird guy!"

While Naruto tried to keep the conversation going, his mind scrambled to find a way out of this. He did not want to fight this freak. He shouldn't have to waste his time nor energy on such a goofy looking person.

"My name's Tobi. Actually, it's not. I lied. So sorry. Really, it's Uchiha Madara. But I prefer Tobi, as it has a much friendlier ring to it. Don't you agree?"

Naruto couldn't waste time here. There were people who actually needed him, he knew that, and whoever this was, this guy wasn't worth his time.

"I don't care who you are or what you want. I have better things to do than talk to an animated lollipop!" Naruto quickly formed the hands signs for his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, something he knew was done and tried, but he hoped was enough to distract this "Tobi" for even a minute.

"Stop, you fool!" Tobi's voice was much darker. He tore off his bright orange mask and let it fall to his side.

Even under the mask, this man's face was mostly hidden. The only portion that could be seen was the dark sharingan in a weary looking face that had probably seen many more days than it was supposed to.

Naruto was stuck.

"Now will you speak with me, you pompous fool? You think too highly of yourself and act far too rashly. I am no novice to your ways or the ways of the leaf ninja. After all, I was one of the very people who founded this society you now call your home. But enough of that history lesson. There is something I want from you, and I think it would be beneficial to both of us if you sat down and listened."

Naruto could feel his body sitting. He felt like he was out of his own body, watching it from some distance. He felt like he was out of control. It was his gut that wrenched him down.

"You have come to love the very village that had so willingly turned its back on you. Where were they all when you needed them the most? They weren't there. They only showed up by necessity and duty to serve the community. None of it was for you personally. Why else were they not a part of your life prior to your academy days? Don't fool yourself. It's _because they didn't care._ Nothing has changed."

Madara turned to look over the devastation that seemed to be on pause.

"When their lives were in peril, they were more than willing to give the information about your whereabouts to us." Madara pointed to the red clouds on his coat. "How else do you think the message that your village was under attack got to you so quickly… before the information had even gotten to the other shinobi nations, and to the isolated Mt. Myobokan where you had isolated yourself? It was no coincidence, that much I can assure you."

Naruto retreated into himself. He reached into his inner core and was prepared to cut off his chakra connection so as to break this genjutsu. Even deep within himself, Madara's voice resonated.

"I can provide you protection with people that actually care. I have created an organization that is essentially run by people like you. Those bestowed with the power of the jinchuuriki have been collected. New hosts have been selected, and a good friend of yours has offered to be the host of the 8 tailed jinchuuriki. A very good, personal friend from your childhood. The one person who could possibly grasp a portion of the pain you felt. A person that also grew up without a family…"

Naruto's voice cracked. "Sasuke…"

"Your good friend will become a jinchuuriki. You two won't be so different after all. However… this is only the case if you are willing to stay his friend… and become mine. You could remain the host and stand beside your best friend… but as his equal."

Naruto lost sight of his concentration. "I… Sasuke would never! I would never let him! People are foolish to want this… kind of being within you. You are stupid to chase after it—"

"Do you accept?"

Madara had bent down, his sharingan eye taking on new hypnotizing patterns.

Naruto closed his eyes. "No. I will never stray from my village. You are wrong. I have decided not to give up on this village, and I won't!"

Naruto didn't have much time. He searched within himself for the chakra that flowed within him, and he cut it. His stomach took a plunge and he felt sick. He called upon his sage chakra to look around him. He pulled from the nature around him, felt his existence extending past his own body, and saw through the eyes of animals, the trees, and shockingly… through the water.

His heart gave an awkward pump. Through the water he could see who had been making it and where this person was. It had to be Pein. The cloak with the red clouds was present in a dark sky that reflected the water.

Pein stood on the hokage mountain. He stood amongst the stone heads, surrounded by his entourage that seemed to be three down. Still, Pein was going strong.

Pein's eyes were turned towards the horizon, looking towards someone in the distance. The puddles didn't reflect it properly. Judging from Pein's eye level, it was someone on a large summons… someone that seemed to be hunched over.

It wasn't until Pein's eyes met his through the water that he realized that the person he had been staring at was himself, perched on his own summons, standing a distance alarmingly close to Pein and just realizing it.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm so happy to see that some people are actually reading my work. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Ahem. I am working on Chapter 4, which is probably going to be a bit longer than the other chapters so it might take a tad bit longer as well.

(bows)

+Chapter 3+

Naruto was startled. He wasn't sure how to react, but he could feel Pein's eyes sinking into his skin. The eyes themselves were much more dangerous and feral than Madara's. They had an ancient quality to them, one that seemed to expose a ninja's very core to the light.

Naruto regained himself and stood up. The strength of Madara's genjutsu made his legs feel like lead. He struggled to move under his own weight.

"You… you're the one that killed the Pervy Sage…"

The Pein in the middle replied. "Is that what you call your old master? I suppose Hidan was right in calling you heathens. I don't have time for your stupidity."

It was in that split second in which Naruto was digesting Pein's words that he was distracted by some whispering in his ear.

"Now feel my pain!"

Another form of Pein had just launched a fist that went ripping through the sky and displacing the air about it. The effect was enormous. The winds threw themselves against the trees and tore them from the roots. The buildings that were not already in jagged pieces on the ground had their windows blown in, their tiles thrown off their roofs.

Naruto didn't have to look to notice this. As part of the Sage Chakra that he now obtained, he could feel what the wind felt. The untamed fury of the wind was part of him, just as he was now part of it. He was no longer a normal ninja. He was a Sage.

Naruto threw himself upon Gamabunta, who seemed to stir awake.

"Gamabunta! Whatever you do at this point, do not jump! Please—"

Gamabunta rumbled. "What the hell, kid? Who do you think you are bossing me—" he stopped midsentence.

With a most ungallant jump that was more like a flop, Gamabunta bounded away from the bullet twisting towards Naruto's head.

Naruto, however, was expecting this. Gamabunta never did as he was asked, at least not directly. It was a direct insult to his pride and stature.

Of course, the Pein that had sent the skyrocketing bullet and who at one point was standing beside Naruto on Gamabunta's back, was nowhere to be seen. Naruto could only guess that perhaps in the brief space of time in which Gamabunta jumped, he had either fallen off or had found some other means of escape.

It was not safe to assume that this Pein was somewhere on the ground, wounded. Even Naruto knew that much. He also knew that it would be a waste of time to check.

"We need to strategize, Naruto! We are not doing anything impulsively! There's too much at risk here!" Gamabunta's pipe flopped about in his mouth, until finally situating itself into the right corner of his mouth at a rather unsteady looking angle.

"The Pervy Sage left me a message…. Something about none of the Peins being there… what could it mean?"

"What do you mean? His message is exactly what it says—"

"So it must be a genjutsu! I've never been good with those…" Naruto quivered remembering his most recent encounter, only a few moments before.

"And this is with a person with an eye technique I'm not familiar with. I don't know what it is exactly. Uh. Hm. Perhaps I should have thought this through first…"

"Unfamiliar eye techniques?" Gamabunta turned to look towards where Pein had stood. It didn't surprise either of them that Pein had disappeared.

"Keep your eyes peeled," Naruto said under his breath, mostly to himself.

"Never trust your eyes, boy," Gamabunta rumbled back.

Gamabunta's words swirled in Naruto's mind. _Never trust your eyes. _There was more to it than what he had just said… it was almost like Gamabunta himself was speaking in code.

Naruto knew he had to depend on his sage chakra. With it, he could sense his surroundings better than he could with his eyes. He couldn't be misled by his own chakra.

If the real one was not there, and this was not a genjutsu, then these bodies had to be controlled from elsewhere by the real Pein, whoever that was. The real Pein must be in a secure place, but a place in which he could see the action… unless those eyes were capable of more than just seeing its immediate surroundings.

If that were the case, the real Pein would be in a secure area far away. If Pein was to actually be defeated and prevented from returning, the original Pein would have to be killed.

"Gamabunta… I think I understand it now. I think the real Pein must be controlling these… things from elsewhere. Do you think perhaps…?"

Naruto's thought was broken off. He could feel the ground quiver with a summons landing.

Naruto quickly formed the seals for Kage Bunshin. With the addition of the sage chakra, he was able to make more than he had in the past. He hoped that for the time being, the colossal amount of clones would make for a major distraction that could perhaps hold Pein off, even for a half hour.

"Gamabunta. This may be a lot to ask… but I need a way to get to the Rain country quickly. It's where Jiraiya died, right? Jiraiya was right was onto something when he was there. Perhaps, if I can somehow go there I might catch his drift."

"If I take you there, buddy, it will be obvious that you aren't here. I go with you, and I'm not very hard to miss."

The summons Naruto felt appear was approaching. He had no time. Gamabunta shifted unsteadily.

"It's better if they follow me," Naruto spoke somewhat quietly. "It'll take them out of Konoha."

Naruto could feel chakra building up near him. Whoever was on this summons was powerful.

A loud, angry voice called out to Naruto. "Naruto! What the hell are you doing here?" It was definitely Tsunade's.

Gamabunta doubled backwards to make room for her huge summons slug, Katsuya.

"Tsunade-baachan?!" Naruto choked.

Her facial expression showed that she was not pleased that even during a stressful time Naruto still took the time to refer to her as an old lady.

"I have to leave. I think I finally understand—"

"GO! LEAVE!" Tsunade's pigtails seemed to fly when she turned to Naruto. "If you understand, then _leave_!"

Naruto was startled. Tsunade's face was flushed a heavy shade of red. Her eyes seemed to reflect a fire that burned behind her eyes.

Naruto took a step back. He wasn't sure what to think, but he knew that he couldn't stay here. He didn't bother to argue. He had to find the real Pein before it was too late.

Still slightly hurt, he called out to Gamabunta whose mouth was slightly ajar in shock.

"Gamabunta… I need you to take me to the country of Rain."

He rolled his eyes upward so as to confirm what Naruto said with his face. Gamabunta stared at Naruto for a moment, and hoarsely whispered.

"You remind me so much of your father right now… it is almost scary…" he paused to close his eyes, which had a filmy layer over them. "I just hope that it doesn't end the same way…"

Gamabunta's words reached Naruto. He understood what Gamabunta said perfectly well, but he decided to pretend that he hadn't heard. He didn't know how to respond to that, and the tight feeling in his stomach made him aware that he could make no guarantees that he could promise a better ending.

Tsunade dared one last glance at Naruto as he bounded away. Her eyes were briefly downcast, and through her lashes, her tears dropped off.

She quickly toughened herself up and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. Her eyes flickered dangerously towards her enemy. The furnace in her eyes returned with a new found determination.

She was facing the man that had killed Jiraiya, the very man that she had come to love. She would not let those close to her be taken away again.

--

As Naruto looked back at Konoha, he saw various ninja running out to join Tsunade, cradling broken arms, and bloodied clothes. Amongst the group he saw a pink haired girl that made his heart give a most unnatural flop. She was amongst those that would be fighting. He knew the other Rookie Genin—now no longer Genin—would be battling for their lives as well.

There was a certain part of him that he refused to acknowledge openly. It threw itself across the walls of his skull, shouting into his brain. He knew that if this certain pink haired girl were to die, his existence would be not unlike one of an empty shell.

He saw the crowds of elderly and the young children being lead into the neighboring lands. He hoped that they too would not feel the wrath of the real monster that existed in Pein.


	4. Chapter 4

+Chapter 4+

Gamabunta's jumps were wide and the distance was covered very quickly. Naruto was still tense, however. While he was still perched on Gamabunta's head with a grace that seemed innate, he could feel his Kage Bunshins vanishing. Pain no longer struck Naruto's Bunshins with the intent to incapacitate, but rather to kill. In a fury that was not human, the team of Pains worked in synch to find the real Naruto. The actions of the ninja were more of a distraction to him than a real hindrance.

Naruto was quickly thrown out of his thoughts when he felt his body become damp, as a sudden sheet of water seemed to briefly encompass him.

"Gamabunta? What the hell was that?" Naruto called down.

Gamabunta waggled his pipe at Naruto. "We have just entered the country of Rain, that's what. And if Pein hasn't realized that you're here now, he probably has now."

Naruto reached out to his surroundings with his sage chakra. Gamabunta was right. This was not normal water. The water seemed to have its own ability. This water was undeniably linked to Pain's chakra.

From the knowledge Naruto received from his vanishing clones, he knew for a concrete fact that Pain had figured it out. He also knew that while Tsunade was gaining an edge over Pain with the assistance of her slugs that seemed to have rapidly reproduced, she was noticeably slowing down.

Kakashi-sensei was there as well. From the furrow of his brow, it was clear that he was formulating a plan. The memory of the clone was so fresh in Naruto's mind that he could almost still see the pinwheels of Kakashi's sharingan in front of his eyes.

Gamabunta shook his back to get Naruto's attention.

"You just going to sit there?" He scoffed. His filmy eyes rolled up to meet Naruto's wavering blue. "Pain knows you're here. You haven't got much time."

Naruto hurriedly formed the seal for summoning. He bit his finger and watched the blood blend in with the water, its tendrils reaching out in this chakra infused water like ribbons before the weight of the summons displaced them.

Fukasaku sat on Gamakichi's back. Gamabunta nodded towards his son, Gamakichi.

"Hey, Pop," Gamakichi looked towards his father.

Naruto felt a pang in his heart. Seeing this father son relationship before his very eyes made him remember the very same pain he felt as a child.

But now that he knew his father was, and how he gave his all to protect this village, he found a new strength that empowered him. It was through this devotion that the very same furnace that burned behind Tsunade's emerged in Naruto's.

Naruto remembered hearing Kakashi's words as he laid the final blow on a dying Kakuzu.

"_The younger generation will always surpass its master."_

Naruto was going to end this for good. The demon that existed within him would no longer bring terror to his village. He could feel the Kyuubi pacing anxiously in its cage, one formed by the sacrifice of Naruto's own blood. There was a strong bond that irrevocably tied Naruto to his father, one that coursed through him and reminded himself of his purpose. He was going to finish what his father was not able to.

Naruto turned to Fukasaku.

"I need you to tell me where the battle occurred," Naruto said quickly, trying to block out the images he got from his vanishing clones.

Fukasaku nodded to a point in the distance. It was hidden in the shade of a large tower. The area was covered in paper that was disintegrating in the water. Some of these papers stuck to the dirty cement walls that enclosed a portion of the area. Pipes of mismatched sizes stuck carelessly out of the walls.

Did his sensei really die in this dreary place? Could fate not at least honor him with a proper burial ground? Naruto's thoughts burned inside his head, adding fuel to the furnace in his eyes.

"Fukasaku. What direction did the Pains come from?" Naruto's eyes quickly scanned the horizon.

"To your left," he replied quickly.

Gamabunta quickly interjected. "It's as you thought, Naruto. I can sense a foreign chakra that I've never encountered before. It doesn't seem to be coming from any_thing_…"

Gamabunta paused. His mouth opened wide, a ghastly sight for anybody. His pipe fell from his mouth and clattered to the ground.

Both Fukasaku and Gamakichi quickly straightened. Naruto was startled at their reactions.

Fukasaku slowly composed himself.

"I hadn't realized it before, during the heat of the battle," he began, and if Naruto's eyes were true, Fukasaku was clearly shaking. "This chakra seems to be emanating from some sort of being that's…"

Gamakichi interrupted Fukasaku. "Dead," he quickly said. "It doesn't follow the natural order of things. The chakra is actually _dead._"

Naruto looked at the three toads around him. "Chakra cannot come from dead beings."

Gamabunta picked up his pipe with amazing skill that contradicted the clumsy shape of his webbed feet.

"This is the first time in my existence… which is quite expansive, I assure you, that I've actually encountered something that should not _be._"

Naruto's mind worked furiously to piece it together.

"So you say that the chakra coming from the left direction where the Pains were… is actually dead chakra? So you're saying that the person or thing it's coming from is dead… yet somehow not dead so as to produce a chakra. It contradicts all that I've been taught."

Fukasaku shook his head. "Until now I thought it was impossible."

"It must be the Rinnegan," Naruto said. "It makes sense now. The reason why the autopsy didn't reveal anything out of the ordinary was because it really wasn't Pain. Maybe it's like my Sage Chakra. I'm capable of extending my being past my own body. Maybe Pain is capable of doing the very same thing. These bodies that make up Pain died earlier of different causes because they are separate people and not specifically Pain. Their techniques were unique to them and maybe that's why Konoha hasn't been able to find out specifically what Pain's abilities are."

Gamabunta shifted. "We don't have time for this. I can sense Pain's approach."

Naruto hurried over to the area Fukasaku pointed to.

"Pain jumped down from over there," Fukasaku added.

Naruto paused mid-step. "He… jumped?"

If Naruto's logic was right, Pain must've gone to retrieve the bodies he would fight with before he attacked. Maintaining all six bodies at once would cost an extensive amount of chakra which wouldn't be necessary unless in battle. He must've stored them somewhere and without his will, they could not move.

Naruto pulled out his sage chakra again. He looked within himself and sought out the dead chakra that Fukasaku and the others insisted was there.

The chakra felt unsettling. It seemed to have an acidic feel to it, one that sent waves of turmoil through his stomach.

Naruto's heart pounded in his chest. It was pounding so painfully that it felt that it was breaking through his ribs.

"We need to go to it," he said, hating the thought. "Gamabunta. I don't care if we have to tear apart this entire place looking for its source.

Gamabunta understood. "This wouldn't be the time and place to refuse," he grunted, and something close to a smile appeared on his large, scarred face. If Naruto didn't know what it was, he would've been appalled.

"Gamakichi. Stay close," Gamabunta called towards his son.

Gamabunta jumped towards the direction of this menacing chakra.

The walls crumpled under Gamabunta's weight. Fukasaku was not far behind on Gamakichi's back.

The rain felt stronger. Each drop felt like a strike meant to hurt. The new onslaught of rain could only be an omen for bad things to come.

There had to be more to the hint than what Jiraiya had left. Using the techniques he had learned as a sage, he blocked out the distractions in his mind and concentrated solely on what he needed to remember.

He took a step back in his mind and stated what he knew.

_The Pervy-Sage left me the message specifically. The symbol for "ta" told me that it was from his latest novel, _Icha Icha Tactics_. Perhaps more than just the message from the kanji was in there for me? _

He recalled the plot. It was just another one of Jiraiya's novels about this one guy trying to get this same, short tempered, prone to violence girl. They each took place in different settings, but followed similar plot lines. _Icha Icha Paradise _took place on an island, _Violence _took place in a shinobi world similar to their own and in _Tactics_, the story was set in a world of courtly intrigue and warfare.

In his latest one, the same, short tempered, prone to violence girl, in her quest to fend off her devoted suitor that continually followed her from locale to locale, locked herself in the tallest tower and refused to let anyone in.

Jiraiya must have chosen that novel because of its locale and the fact that the treasure, in this case the girl, was in the tallest tower.

Jiraiya must've seen Pain descend from the tallest tower. That's where Pain kept his storehouse of power.

Naruto's eyes searched the skyline for the tallest tower. The tallest pinnacle pierced into the cloudy sky. It was so heavily inundated by the mist and fog that Naruto questioned its existence. His sage chakra confirmed what he saw, and a large lump formed in his throat.

Naruto saw a narrow ledge that overlooked the city. It was partly sheltered from the rain by crumbled cement and old, rusting pipes.

If somebody wanted to act as a god, that perch would be the perfect place to watch over its people. Pain, however, was not a god. He was much more like a feral hawk eyeing its prey and discerning its movements with a dangerous flicker of the eye.

Naruto was sure he'd find what he was looking for close to that ledge.

He disembarked, much to the surprise of Gamabunta.

"It's nothing personal, Gamabunta. I have to see this for myself… and honestly, I don't think you'd fit."

"You shouldn't be going by yourself, kid," Gamabunta grunted.

Naruto turned, and gave him a smile shockingly identical to Minato's. It was as if a part of Yondaime was living in Naruto.

"I won't be going alone," Naruto said. "My numbers can range from one to one thousand," he smirked, turning back to face the ledge.

Just as quickly, Naruto was gone. The toads looked to each other as they prepared themselves for a confrontation they felt drawing ever closer.

--A/N--

I swear, I'll make this short...

In response to FairyCloud22: Pain isn't Pein but it's actually Pain?! LOL. ;; And here I thought his name was so cool because it was a variation on spelling his name so as to make it look more like a name and less like a real word. Well, now that I've corrected it, my spell check is very happy with me. Anyway, thank you for telling me this-- otherwise I would've continued to harass my computer. : )

I'm truly grateful for all the reviews I've gotten. It's really encouraging to know that people are compelled to write reviews for my work.

(bows)


	5. Chapter 5

+Chapter 5+

Naruto approached the ledge, with a sinking feeling in his heart. He knew that the last clone left in Konoha had now been defeated.

He began to feel that perhaps it was a good thing that he no longer knew what happened. He had to focus solely on ending Pain once and for all.

As he stood on the ledge he could feel the ominous chakra surrounding him. Naruto, fighting his instincts to avoid such chakra, walked just past the ledge towards a door in the far corner. He couldn't take any chances.

He sent a Kage Bunshin to inspect the area for any traps. He had learned from Kakashi that traps tended to be placed in the most obvious areas—so obvious that it was commonly overlooked.

It didn't matter if Pain was alerted to his presence at his body storehouse; Pain certainly knew by now, and was undoubtedly close by.

Naruto's clones first tried the door. He knew the trap couldn't be that intense, as the true Pain inside still had to have an environment in which he could survive.

As his clones pushed the door open, the air pressure suddenly changed.

_Crap, _Naruto thought. _He prepared a trap that would affect the entire area. Why didn't I see that?_

Still, even with the pressure dropping rapidly around him, he forced himself forward. The clones keeled under the pressure. He felt he would do the same too, but he couldn't let himself.

As he trudged forward, dragging his feet, he closed his eyes that seemed to spin around in their sockets. If this was a genjutsu, it was mighty powerful, and it played right upon his weakness to genjutsu. As he threw his foot over the threshold into the dark area, he was able to regain some senses.

He was able to discern his immediate surroundings. His hand stroked the tough glass bed, leaving little smudges on its glossy surface.

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he started to make out all the beds that sat in neat little rows that reminded him of an orphanage.

The place had an ominous feeling to it, one that urged his sore body to leave… quickly, lest the same fate of the bodies that rested in this bed came to him.

Still, there was sadness in the air, one so intense that Naruto felt himself succumbing to the old depression of his past. Naruto could just tell that this was the home of somebody who had seen more than his fair share of loss.

His eyes flew across the room to where he sensed movement. He noticed that one bed was occupied, and the steady breathing of its occupant proved that he… no, _it _was alive.

He walked towards it, his hand moving of its own accord. It hesitated above the glass coffin. It was almost as if the body had been waiting for him. It stiffened under the shadow of Naruto's hand, a sudden jolt coursing through its body.

Naruto withdrew his hand quickly as he realized what was happening. He almost fell back to get out of the way as the body's eyes flew open.

Still, nothing seemed to happen. As Naruto hesitatingly peered at the body, a portion of his mind was shouting at him to get it over with.

_Just smash him to pieces with Rasengan, _his mind screamed out.

But the body was completely still, and although its eyes had been thrown open, they were completely blank and devoid of any form of life. And while the body was indeed alive, its soul was not present. As Naruto peered through the body's eyes, he was capable of seeing straight into the memory it held onto, a memory that was worn at the edges and conveniently tucked away into this body and forced into a glass coffin.

It was in that brief moment that Naruto's memories merged with the body's.

_A girl with blue hair was tearing pieces of paper to shreds while her body heaved with sobs. She was trying to hide her sobs rather uselessly. They came out as especially wet hiccups. _

_A boy with ragged black hair that fell to his shoulders sat next to her. His eyes were hidden. "I'll bring him back, I swear it," he said to her. The girl didn't respond. _

_"But Nagato… what if Yahiko was right about us fighting on the wrong side?"_

_"It doesn't matter," the boy replied. "He left his teammates. He left the only family he ever had. And I won't let my family be torn apart again," the boy said, with a clenched fist. _

_He stood up suddenly, and looked towards the girl. "He'll see the sense in our ways. Sometimes we have to do the worst things for the improvement of our society."_

_There was a deep abyss that stretched between his words. His mind was trying to find a way to get to what he wanted to say next._

" _Konan," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse and dry. He looked down at Konan's ruffled and disheveled hair._

_He stopped, and waited for the girl to return his gaze. She could feel his gaze burning into her, and she awkwardly turned to meet it. _

_As soon as his eyes caught hers, a bridge was formed across that abysss in his thoughts._

_Tears tumbled down her porcelain face that this boy had come to adore. Her eyes were a gentle blue to match her hair. Her origami flower was now in pieces on the floor, her hands unexpectedly free. _

_The boy took her wet, tear streaked hands in his. He didn't seem to care that she had been wiping her nose with it the entire time, and while she was embarrassed, she didn't have time to think. _

_He bent down to kiss her, a gentle peck on her lips that seemed almost ghostly. Her mind blanked for a moment, and she didn't know how to respond. Her eyes dove to the ground as she tried to piece what had just happened together. _

_She could feel his gaze on her, and she almost laughed at the thought. How could he even see where her lips were through his shade of hair? She smiled and looked up, her eyes resolute. _

_The boy grinned, his sudden lopsided grin spreading on the lower half of his face._

_"Konan-chan. Please, never leave me. I do not want my family to be torn apart again. I do not want the ones I love to be taken from me. Most of all… I don't want you to leave me, Konan…"_

The memory faded out and another emerged from the darkness. It was almost as if the body laying before him was trying to tell him something, but could only do so by revisiting the past. Naruto knew the boy in the vision was the same person that lay before him. His hair was significantly shorter and his jaw line was more pronounced. And while the body was much older and much more mature, it was definitely the same person.

Naruto let his memories merge once again.

_A man with a bright shock of red hair stood in front of an adult Nagato. _Through the memory, Naruto could feel the rush of recognition.

_"Yahiko!" Nagato yelled. Konan stood further back, wrapping up a gash on her knee. It was deep the cloth she put on it was quickly saturated with blood._

_"Have you lost your mind?" Yahiko called back. His disposition was fierce as he turned to face Nagato._

_"Nagato. You're the one who has gone down the wrong path, and taken poor Konan-chan down too." Nagato gritted his teeth with irritation._

_"Do you honestly think that you will be able to rebuild your own country by working with those who have thrown it down? We have to start from scratch, and you don't seem to get that."_

_Yahiko came closer. Konan tensed and prepared to fight. Her knee couldn't support her, and she stumbled ungracefully onto it, causing her to keel back with pain. _

_"Who ever said we working with them? We were simply using them."_

_"Difference in opinion, I guess," Yahiko shrugged nonchalantly. _

_Yahiko noticed Konan kneeling in the distance, struggling to clot the blood pouring out of her knee._

_"Aren't you supposed to protect her? The one thing we do have in common, Nagato, is the need to protect. We both feel it. Have you lost yourself so much that you can't see somebody who needs your protection?"_

_Yahiko walked towards Konan, leaving footsteps of his long stride in the mud. Nagato turned towards him. _

_"Nagato, you're looking at everything wrong. Look at her. Is this how you treat the ones you love? She's in pain, Nagato. Look at her. She's in pain."_

The memory suddenly seemed to skip, like a record jumping a track.

_Nagato was covered in thick globs of mud that slid down his nose and dropped down onto the body before him. His eyes widened in the shock. He began to shake violently before he calmed himself down._

_He breathed in slowly, and felt his lungs expand, his heart thump, and his mind race. He was alive. _

_Nagato's mind started to pour forth with destructive thoughts. _I was supposed to bring Yahiko back to Konan. I promised. I promised! But I… killed him. I… No! He brought it upon himself, _his mind churned._

_He looked up to see Konan limping towards him, her feet crashing through the mud that sucked her feet in. She reached him, and she fell. _

_"You killed him!" She cried out, and her body became still._

_"You promised me you would return him to our family! You promised!" She began to choke on her sobs. Her origami flower was now wilted and sliding down her hair, that was damp with water._

_Nagato couldn't seem to remember who he was. The only thing he could truly recall was the very last word he had heard before… before IT happened._

_Pain. That's what he remembered hearing, and that's exactly what he felt. He had managed to kill his best friend and bring his lover to tears of agony. _

_The world was dark, he decided. The world wasn't a sunny place, and it never would be. _

_"Konan." His voice was suddenly hoarse and dry, like it had been all those years ago._

_She looked into his eyes and froze._

_"We got Yahiko," he said. He picked up Yahiko's body and slung it over his shoulder. Yahiko's bright orange hair was stuck to his face and darkened by the mud._

_Konan turned and looked at him, and looked at the body. This new person in front of her was not Nagato. No, this was somebody else, somebody she feared in the pit of her being._

_"Yahiko's come back to us," Nagato said. He trudged forward, sloshing in the mud, while Konan sat there._

_She didn't want to be alone. _

The memory faded as soon as Naruto felt another presence in the room.

He quickly turned to view the very face he had seen in the memory. It was clearly Yahiko… but with Nagato, no… Pain inside.

---- A/N ----

Hi. Long time no write. Sorry. I had lots of midterms... and I confess, I sorta rushed on this chapter, so I haven't proofread it or anything. I know, it's bad of me. I'll get to it eventually, I just wanted to post something... and I want to sleep. It's laaatee and I have a morning class tomorrow... erm, today.

I felt that I needed to explain Pain in this story in order for it to make sense. I guess the story is turning out longer than I thought it would. Oh well. ^___^ Next chapter, it's more action... and I'm more of a drama person, so I'll have to work on that one a bit...

Till next time!


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